


Adventures of Seungwoo and His Son, Junho

by bright_light



Series: Tales of The Han Family [1]
Category: Produce 101 (TV), X1 (Korea Band)
Genre: Baby Junho, Dad Seungwoo, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Gen, X1 hyung line as uncles, X1 maknae line as other babies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:14:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26169271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bright_light/pseuds/bright_light
Summary: Or alternatively titled as Seungwoo navigating the parenting life with his adorable son Junho.
Relationships: Cha Junho & Han Seungwoo, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: Tales of The Han Family [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1916551
Comments: 9
Kudos: 26





	Adventures of Seungwoo and His Son, Junho

If you told Seungwoo that at 28 years old, he would live a financially stable life, with a good job that comes with high pay, and a rather comfortable lifestyle, he would smirk and tell you “Of course I will,” If there is one thing Han Seungwoo is very sure about, it is his bright future.  
  
True enough, at 28, Seungwoo is currently holding a high position at the company he is working at, having been showing good attitude and willingness to learn new things while carrying out his designed responsibilities. He owns an apartment at the luxurious area of the town, and drives a rather stylish ride. Life is good isn’t it?  
  
Except there’s a saying that goes _“It’s the unexpected that changes our lives.”_  
  
Seungwoo couldn’t agree more to that.  
  
The unexpectedness that lands in his life comes in the form of a tiny 3-year-old boy. Not just any boy, but his son. Said son is named Junho.  
  
To say Seungwoo was shocked is definitely the understatement of the century.  
  
When his ex-girlfriend reached out to him for a meet-up, Seungwoo had thought of it a harmless little reunion, maybe to rekindle, or maybe to get some closure after the bad breakup they both went through. This particular ex-girlfriend is the most serious girl Seungwoo had been with for a while, all throughout their university years. Seungwoo had even thought of proposing, but the girl broke it off just a week after their graduation, and disappeared without any trace. Seungwoo was so heartbroken about it.  
  
So as bitter as their history was, it was kind of a pleasant moment for Seungwoo to be able to get in touch with her again, but he was definitely not expecting the surprise she had brought along with her. What surprises him even more is the connection that tied the both of them together.  
  
It was his son. An actual son of his.  
  
He is not even going to deny the fact that Junho is his son. Even though he mostly takes after his mother in the looks department, there is just something about Junho, when you take a quick glance at him, and then to Seungwoo, that shows Junho is indeed related to Seungwoo. Maybe it was kind of naive of Seungwoo, but he rejected the idea of a DNA test and truly believed that the boy in front of him is really his.  
  
The only thing Seungwoo could think of at that moment was, “Why now?”  
  
Apparently sometime along their university graduation, his girlfriend had gotten pregnant, and fearing that he would reject their unborn baby, she cut off all of their ties together. Perhaps it had been quite selfish of her, because Seungwoo thinks, well what he imagined he would do is anything but to ask her to abort the baby.  
  
To think of all the years he missed out on watching Junho grow, it makes him feel strangely sad in a way.  
  
But going back to the issue presented at hand, the main reason why his ex-girlfriend decided to reunite the both of them was because she wanted to start a new life. Seungwoo could laugh about it actually. She got herself a new job, a new boyfriend, and is moving to another country and decided she didn’t want to keep Junho anymore. And the best option she could come up with would be introducing him to his father, who he never even met before all this. How can someone be this selfish, Seungwoo thinks.  
  
Perhaps feeling like he is responsible over the little boy, Seungwoo willingly agreed to take custody of Junho, no longer wanting him to be in the presence of his mother. If she so willingly would give up Junho just to go live a new life, what would guarantee Junho’s state of living if he refused his custody and just decided to let his ex-girlfriend keep taking care of him?  
  
It was a fairly quick process, the legal work. Perhaps because both parties are cooperating well, the paperwork was finished up in a record time and without any fuss. Just after a week, Junho is now Seungwoo’s, both biologically and legally. It dawned on Seungwoo, that now he is a father. He should really do his best to provide everything Junho ever needed.  
  
But it was not so easy of a journey for him.  
  
Apparently Junho is a shy kid. A really shy one at that. He barely speaks up, even when with his mother, so around Seungwoo, he is practically voiceless. Seungwoo would talk to him endlessly, and he would only respond with a stare, a blink, anything but talking to him. It frustrated Seungwoo honestly, that he couldn’t really know what his son seemed to be thinking, or what he wanted.  
  
Like now, for example.  
  
“Junho, what do you want for breakfast hm?” Seungwoo turned to look at his son who was sitting silently at the living room playing with his stuffed bunny toy from the kitchen. As usual, Seungwoo’s question is met with a blank stare from his son. Seungwoo exhaled a long sigh, and went to living room, gathering Junho up in his arms.  
  
Seungwoo ignored the way his heart hurt when Junho didn’t return his hug, but instead relishing in the way Junho rested his head in the crook of his neck.  
  
He cuddled Junho for a while on the couch, just silently sitting there and giving comforting pats and back rubs to Junho. He would occassionally press kisses on Junho’s head too. It’s amazing how so in love he is with his son, even if he just got to know about his existence recently.  
  
Eventually Seungwoo’s stomach grumbled, letting it’s presence and hunger be known. If he is already hungry then Junho must be too. He pulled back to look at Junho in the eyes and decided to just prepare anything for him, but just for the sake of it, he asked Junho, “Is it okay if daddy prepare yogurt and fruits for you?” Thankfully that time, it earned him a nod. Seungwoo realised that if he already decided things for Junho, it would be easier to get a reaction out of him. But Seungwoo didn’t want to do that. He read it somewhere in the parenting blogs that it was a bad thing to do, so Seungwoo would try to ask Junho about what he wants. It’s a slow process, but Seungwoo tried to keep it up.  
  
Breakfast decided, Seungwoo stood up from the couch and went to set Junho down, but little fingers gripped his shirt tightly, and God if that didn’t make Seungwoo’s insides melt. He decided against it, and hefted Junho up against his hip instead, and brought Junho along to the kitchen to prepare their breakfast. They spent their entire morning like that, in comfortable silence of each other’s presence, Junho clinging to Seungwoo. It was the first time Junho had openly showed affection to Seungwoo.  
  
It was nice.  
  


* * *

After their little moment on that day, Junho seemed to grow more and more comfortable around Seungwoo. Well, the boy didn’t transform overnight, but there’s progress. And Seungwoo couldn’t be any happier for that. Junho had started to talk a bit too, even if it is just mostly to himself.  
  
It started when they were at the mart, doing some grocery shopping.  
_  
Seungwoo had put Junho into the cart, so that it would be easier for him to shop for things while also keeping an eye on Junho. When they were at the cereal aisle, Seungwoo picked up a box of his usual granola cereal, and was about to head off to another section when Junho seemed to mumble under his breath.  
_  
_“What is it Junho? Daddy can’t hear you.”  
  
Junho seemed to contemplate for a bit, before speaking up again, a bit louder this time, but still soft.  
  
“I want that.” Coupled with Junho’s finger pointing out to something, Seungwoo turned to find the source ofJunho’s interest.  
  
It was a box of Lucky Charms.  
  
Seungwoo could cry happy ugly tears at that time. It was the first time Junho had ever asked for anything, and even if it was just a box of cereal, Seungwoo was more than happy to provide it for him. The smile Junho gave him when Seungwoo lifted him out of the cart so that Junho can get the box by himself is so precious, the way he cradled the cereal box after getting it is even more so.  
  
Seungwoo would buy the entire Lucky Charms’ damn company if it meant making Junho smile like that again.  
_  
Junho too, had seemed to be able to express more of what he wanted more. He prefers strawberries with his yogurts over grapes, and he likes his banana cut into small pieces. Junho also likes chocolate milk more than anything else. Everyday Seungwoo learns something new about Junho.  
  
Seungwoo found out that he really liked spending time with his son. In the span of two weeks, they went grocery shopping together, or one time when Seungwoo had brought Junho to the park for some fresh air, and there was even a day where the both of them just went for a drive around the city, spending the day just eating and sightseeing.  
  
Sadly the moment couldn’t stay forever.  
  
Seungwoo had to go back to work soon. When his boss first heard about his situation, he had given him two weeks of paid paternity leave, four days more than the usual paid leave that fathers take. When Seungwoo tried to protest, his boss only said to him _“It’s not everyday you find out that you have a son. Go spend some time with him. Who knows how much you already missed out.”_  
  
While at first Seungwoo felt kind of bad about it, he couldn’t help but to be grateful too to his boss. Getting Junho settled down into the new environment of his life had been quite the task, and it took up some time too. Seungwoo was glad he had the extra time needed to integrate Junho into his new life better. It also gave him extra time to look for good daycares for Junho to spend his time during the day when Seungwoo is working.  
  
Today is Sunday, and the last day Seungwoo would be able to spend time with Junho. He had considered spending a lazy day at home, but decided against it. Even so, he didn’t really know what to do, that he had to rope in some help from his friends.  
  
[ **Han Seungwoo, 7:13 a.m.** ]  
You know any places where I can bring Junho to?  
  
[ **Cho Seungyoun, 7:29 a.m.** ]  
how are u up so early on a sunday oh my god  
  
[ **Han Seungwoo, 7:30 a.m.** ]  
It’s a habit.  
A good one too, maybe you could practice it.  
  
[ **Cho Seungyoun, 7:32 a.m.** ]  
no thx, id rather get more beauty sleep  
but to answer ur question, hve u gone to the aquarium?  
maybe he would like it  
  
[ **Han Seungwoo, 7:33 a.m.** ]  
The aquarium sounds like a good idea.  
You and Hangyul want to tag along?  
  
[ **Cho Seungyoun, 7:35 a.m.** ]  
and fight for the bestest uncle ever title? sure, why not lol  
hangyul would love to meet him too  
  
[ **Han Seungwoo, 7:35 a.m.** ]  
Alright, I’m picking you guys up at 9.  
  
Setting his phone down on the nightstand, Seungwoo turned to look at the little boy occupying the other side of his bed. Somewhere around the night Junho had come up to Seungwoo’s room, mumbling something about monsters under his bed, and Seungwoo had been too tired to think of anything else but to scoop Junho up and bundle him in blankets to sleep with him.

Looking down at his son, Seungwoo’s heart is filled with happiness. It was a sentimental moment to him, random that it is. To think that he missed out on Junho’s early years is cold blow to his heart. But he is going to make it right. He is going to spend the rest of his life witnessing Junho grow, into a wonderful person. Never have Seungwoo loved someone with his entire being.  
  
Gently rubbing Junho’s back, Seungwoo began to wake him up “Time to get up Junho, it’s morning already.”  
  
Junho seemed to twist out of his reach, but being bundled up in blankets, he can only go so far. Seungwoo continued to rub his back, and sneaked in some kisses. After a moment, Junho blinked his eyes open and stared blankly up at his father. Seungwoo smiled, because he found Junho so cute, even when waking up.  
  
He really is a fool for his son huh?  
  
“Want to go out with daddy today?”  
  
One blink. Two blink. Junho’s mind processed the question slowly, being sleepy and all. Another blink and he is asking “Where?”

Seungwoo couldn’t help it, he pecked Junho’s nose before saying “We are going to see fishes today! Daddy is going to bring you to the aquarium.” And it was as if someone flipped a switch inside Junho, the boy practically beamed up at Seungwoo and began to try getting out of the bed, presumably to go and get ready.  
  
So Cho Seungyoun was right about one thing.  
  
Their morning affairs went by smoothly, almost too smoothly since Junho is really excited to go. He’s even bouncing in his steps, and he seemed to be talking more than usual, even if he’s talking to his toy bunny. Seungwoo took a glance at Junho from the rearview mirror and smiled softly. If Junho is this enthusiastic about animals maybe he can bring him to a zoo next, or maybe a petting zoo would be better, Junho can interact with the animals that way, mused Seungwoo.  
  
A short drive later and they had arrived in front of Seungyoun and Hangyul’s apartment complex. The two had already been waiting for them, and hopped in immediately after Seungwoo’s car pulled up, Seungyoun claiming shotgun while Hangyul sat at the back with Junho.

Sensing that his son might be uncomfortable around the unfamiliar faces, Seungwoo quickly introduced his two friends to him “Junho, these are daddy’s friends, uncle Seungyoun and uncle Hangyul.” Seungyoun turned and said a rather high pitched “Hello little Junho!”, Hangyul following suit with his own greeting. Junho mumbled a soft “Hi.” before returning back to fiddling with his toy bunny.  
  
Seungwoo was about to tell Junho to speak louder, when Hangyul beat him to it by striking up a small talk with Junho “Is that your bunny Junho? It’s so cute! Uncle has one like you too.” Junho perked up noticably at this, and before he knew it Hangyul had successfully engaged Junho in talking with him, showing photos of his said stuffed bunny on his phone, Junho is even pointing a few things on Hangyul’s phone and chattering away softly with Hangyul.  
  
Turning back his attention on the road, Seungwoo glanced at Seungyoun and simply said “Looks like you are not the bestest uncle right now.” Seungyoun scowled. Seungwoo let out a triumphant smirk.

The drive to the aquarium is fairly quick and silent, save from the songs playing on the radio, Seungyoun and Seungwoo’s occasional chatter and of course, Hangyul and Junho talking at the back. The pair had evolved from looking at plushie pictures on Hangyul’s phone to trying out various face filters on some random app. The giggles Junho would let out sometimes is so adorable, that Seungyoun too would occasionally look back to join the two’s quiet chatters.

The moment they had arrived, it seemed as if Junho couldn’t contain his excitement. He was practically vibrating with energy, and Seungwoo suspected that he might even take off by himself if not for the little hand Seungwoo is holding in his.  
  
He ruffled Junho’s hair and chuckled, “Wait for a little bit okay Junho?”  
  
The boy nodded, but still bounced on his feet. Junho would unconsciously tug on Seungwoo’s hand too, and that made Seungwoo laugh even more.  
  
When Seungyoun came back with the tickets, the small group wasted no time to start exploring the aquarium. Seungwoo would have never guessed that Junho was a big animal lover, but he is. He is running off here and there, watching the various marine life around them. Seungyoun and Hangyul patiently kept up with Junho, indulging the little boy with his questions and even acting to be like some of the animals, silly as it might seem. Seungwoo was glad that the duo tagged along, he probably couldn’t deal with energetic Junho alone right now, not when he is so used to the calm version of his son.  
  
At the underwater walkway, Junho was even more impressed. He had slowed down a bit, tiny eyes not knowing what to land his eyes on first, as there’s too many interesting fishes to watch. Seungwoo had his phone on his hand, capturing pictures of Junho for memories. It was at that moment that something unexpected happened.  
  
_“Daddy look!”_  
  
Seungwoo could swear that the time was stopped for a moment. Junho was looking at him, and apparently is pointing at a beluga that is facing him. But all Seungwoo can think of that time was about how Junho called him daddy. He could feel tears at the corner of his eyes. Junho never addressed him with his title directly. Whenever he is talking or asking Seungwoo for something, it was always “I want this.”or “Can I have some snacks?”  
  
But that time. God.  
  
Snapping out of his daze, Seungwoo tried his best to contain his tears and walked over to where Junho is pointing out to the beluga. Seeing Junho looking up at him with a shine in his eyes, is such a blessing to him “Yes Junho, that’s a beluga. You want to get closer to say hi?” Seungwoo then proceeded to lift Junho up onto his shoulders so that he can touch the glass separating him and the beluga.  
  
Seungyoun and Hangyul, witnessing the beautiful moment between the father and the son, secretly took a picture of the two.  
  
Seungwoo had it set as his locksreen.   
  


* * *

  
Seungwoo would have thought that he is clear of any parenting crisis for the time being, except that he is wrong. The next challenge came sooner than he thought it would.  
  
It has been three weeks since he started working again, and Junho started attending a daycare in the neighbourhood. Since Seungwoo works less hours than he did before, he would be able to pick Junho up from the daycare after work. That was the highlight of his days nowadays, going home to his son.  
  
He would stop by at the daycare, wait at the front door, and when Junho is fetched by the worker there, Seungwoo would crouch down and open his arms wide, and Junho would run straight into them, giggling and talking non-stop. They repeated that routine everyday, and Seungwoo would never get tired of it.  
  
However, today is a bit different.  
  
Seungwoo is still crouched down, arms wide open, but Junho seems to be hesitating to embrace him. He did hug his dad, but only for a short second before moving away to play with the straps of his bag instead. His eyes wouldn’t meet Seungwoo’s, and there’s no hint of a smile that Seungwoo grew to love on his face. Concerned, Seungwoo stood up to face the worker, who only gave him a sad smile. What the worker told him would shock him.  
  
Junho had gotten into a fight. Well not much of a fight, they said it started with some talking, but it escalated and Junho had pulled the hair of the girl who talked to him quite hard, resulting to the little girl crying and Junho being put on timeout. When Seungwoo asked if they knew what caused it, they could only shrug and say “We tried to ask him what’s wrong, but he wouldn’t say anything, he just kept quiet.”  
  
With that, Seungwoo drove home with a troubled heart. A few glances through the rearview mirror at his son produces the same outcome every time, Junho with his head bowed down and hands still fiddling with the straps of his bag, now placed on his lap. Seungwoo sighed and mentally reminded himself to sort it out later.  
  
The situation when they arrived home were rather tense to say. Bath time was a quick and short affair. Dinner too was enjoyed in silence, at least enjoyed by Seungwoo. Junho didn’t really eat that much, more interested in pushing the food in his plate around. Seungwoo ended dinner early.  
  
After that, Seungwoo had sat Junho on the couch while he sat cross-legged in front of him. He tried to think of how to start, but he couldn’t really find the words, and how to phrase them. At that moment, Seungwoo thought that it would be easier if he is dealing with an 18 years old rebellious Junho rather than the 3 years old Junho right now. He is afraid that if he didn’t approach this matter on the right footing, it would mess up Junho’s development. So he started off with the most easy question he could think of right now.  
  
“You didn’t eat much for dinner earlier Junho, why?” He was met with silence, and a stare from his son.  
  
“Are you not that hungry?” More silence.  
  
Seungwoo sighed in frustration. Emotional talks were not really his forte, but he is trying his best. What does one do if their son is practically non-verbal with them? Seungwoo finally tugged Junho into his lap to be cuddled and sat on the sofa. While giving comforting strokes on Junho’s back, Seungwoo spoke up “You know you can tell daddy everything right? Daddy wouldn’t get mad, I just want to help. But I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong, baby.”  
  
And just like that, it was as if something broke inside Junho, and the boy is now sobbing in Seungwoo’s embrace. Now Seungwoo is panicked. That’s not the response he had expected out of his son. He was crying so hard, and Seungwoo couldn’t do anything but to watch, pat his back and whisper comforting words. That’s when he caught Junho’s mumbling.  
  
“I want mummy.”  
  
Seungwoo’s heart broke. Whatever it is that is bugging his little boy, it must have been quite distressing, especially if he is asking for his mother right now, who he only talks to twice a week on video calls after she moved out of the country. The same mother who he can quite boldly claim abandoned him. God. Seungwoo tried to usher away any bad thoughts right now, focusing on his son.  
  
“I know baby, I know. You want mummy, daddy’s really sorry but she’s not here.”  
  
And if it was possible, Junho cried harder, his sobs practically shaking his little body. Seungwoo kept up the strokes and pat on Junho’s back, trying to hold back his own tears at that moment. Seungwoo needed to be strong for his son. They will be okay.

After crying his heart out, Junho had tired himself out to the point of sleeping. Seungwoo had set Junho on his own bed, intending to sleep with his son tonight. He needs to feel physically close to Junho. So he bundled up Junho in blankets and went out to the balcony, phone in his hand and a number already dialled. He took a look at the night view, and exhaled harshly. Three rings later, the call connected.  
  
_“Hey there, dad.”  
_  
Seungwoo barked out a laugh at that. God, Wooseok can be so annoying sometimes.  
  
“Hey Wooseok.” Was the only thing he said before letting silence ring between them. Again, he didn’t know how to start this conversation. There’s too many things weighing his heart down at the moment.  
  
Turns out that he didn’t need to start. Because Wooseok knew him so well.  
  
_“Trouble with the little guy?”_  
  
“Yeah.” Another heavy exhale, and Seungwoo is telling Wooseok about everything that happened this evening. From the incident at the daycare, and how Seungwoo’s mini confrontation led to Junho sobbing his eyes out.  
  
“I just don’t know Seok, he wouldn’t tell me anything, and just started crying out of nowhere. Then he asked for his mother. God can you believe that? He asked for her while crying.”  
  
To lighten up the situation, Wooseok joked _“Now it seems to me like you are more jealous that he asked for his mother when you are right in front of him.”_ That earned an irritated huff from Seungwoo. Wooseok laughed.  
  
Feeling himself also smile, Seungwoo continued “I really don’t know what to do. He never cried like that before, and seeing him like that breaks my heart to be honest.” A comfortable silence fell over them.

 _“Honestly Woo, I think you should give him some time. No offense, but shitty as his mother was for leaving him like that, she did raise him first. They have a bond Woo, you just can’t ignore that. And this whole matter must probably be related to her somehow, no? He wouldn’t just ask for his mother out of nowhere if someone didn’t mention it.”  
_  
Hearing the long explanation of his best friend, Seungwoo let himself ponder over his words. There’s some truth to them. Junho rarely, or he should say never really talks about his mother. Sure, after their video calls Junho would be telling him stories about her, but other than that, he doesn’t really mention her. That’s probably why Seungwoo didn’t consider her absence as the source of this whole problem.  
  
“You might be right.”  
  
_“When am I ever not?”_  
  
“You are so cocky, you know that?” Some of the burden finally easing, Seungwoo let himself laugh and enjoy his best friend’s antics. He's glad to have someone like Wooseok by his side, weird as that guy is.

 _“But that got you to laugh didn’t it? Lighten up Woo, everything is going to be okay. You are an amazing dad already.”  
  
_Those words have Seungwoo feeling proud. He’s glad that the people around him think that he is doing a good job because honestly, he himself don’t know if he’s doing great. Hearing reassurances from people makes him worry less, and he is really grateful for the support system around him.  
  
“Thanks Seok. Hey, mind clearing my schedule tomorrow? I think I’m gonna take a day off.”  
  
_“I knew it, you are just using this situation to get out of work. Don’t think I can’t see right through you, Mister Han.”  
_  
“Well you caught me there, Secretary Kim.”  
  
They both ended their conversation on a light note and Seungwoo slipped back into his room, sitting at the edge of the bed beside Junho. He wiped away any remaining tear tracks on Junho’s cheeks and just looked at Junho for a long time. There’s still a lot to learn about his son, and he would try his best to understand him. With that thought, Seungwoo finally moved to his side of the bed and got under the covers, intending to sleep today’s events away.

The next day, Seungwoo was woken up by sounds of coughing coming from Junho. Sitting up instantly and ignoring the way the world spun for a moment, Seungwoo reached for a water bottle on the nightstand and uncapped it to let Junho drink some water. A glance at the clock shows the time, which is 9:13 a.m., a lot later than the time they usually wake up on. But well, Seungwoo took a day off, and didn’t plan on sending Junho to the daycare so there’s no harm in that he suppose.  
  
Another glance but at Junho this time shows how clearly the boy is trying to avoid his eyes. His hands are now playing with the blanket and his head stays bowed down. Trying to catch Junho’s attention, Seungwoo took his hand and held it in his.  
  
“Daddy’s not working today, so you don’t have to go to the daycare. How does spending the day with daddy sound hm?”  
  
At the mention of not having to go to daycare, Junho’s head shot up and stared at his father. Seungwoo gave him a smile, holding his gaze. After a few beats, Junho looked away and mumbled “Okay.” under his breath. Small victories, Seungwoo’s mind supplied.  
  
With that, the father and son duo started their day. The hours went by like a whizz. They had spent their entire day lazing about, doing whatever they can do at home. Watching the television, eating, reading books, snack time, nap time, play time. Before they knew it, it was already nighttime.  
  
Junho all tucked in his bed, Seungwoo sat next to him. Junho was playing with his bunny when his father asked for his attention.  
  
“Junho baby, we still need to talk about you pulling the girl’s hair at your daycare.” Junho’s body tensed and he fidgeted a little, probably not expecting Seungwoo to bring it up. Seungwoo know all too well that his son is trying to avoid it, he laid down as well as he can beside Junho in his small toddler bed, and hugged him.  
  
“Will you believe daddy if I say I’m not angry? I just want to know why you did it, baby. You don’t usually get angry like that.”  
  
The silence continued on, and Seungwoo almost gave up if not for Junho suddenly starting to talk.  
  
“The girl at school…” Seungwoo hummed, letting Junho know that he is listening.  
  
“The girl at the school said that, mummy… mummy doesn’t like Junho anymore, that’s why mummy is not here.”  
  
Startled, Seungwoo sat up immediately and turned to look at Junho. Suddenly it all makes sense. God, is Seungwoo a bad guy for kinda wanting to pull the girl’s hair too? Preferably harder than Junho did. He shook off that thought and immediately pulled Junho’s face up so he can see clearly.  
  
“Junho, why didn’t you tell daddy?”

That earned him a shrug, and was that tears he saw in Junho’s eyes?  
  
Seungwoo took a deep breath to steady himself. How did he let it get this bad? He should have addressed this matter clearly from the moment he got custody of Junho. He cursed himself at that moment.  
  
“Junho can you look at daddy?”  
  
Two large eyes, contained with tears made eye contact with his own. He doesn’t know what kind of expression he is putting on to be honest, but he hope his sincere words will get through Junho.  
  
“Always believe me when I say mummy and daddy both love you _so much_. You are a miracle, a blessing in our lives. And I also want you to know that if mummy had the chance to bring you over to where she is right now, she would. She cannot, because you wouldn’t be comfortable there. That’s why she told daddy to take care of you. _Not_ because she doesn’t love you okay Junho? But it’s because of how much she loves you, and wants the best for you. Do you understand what daddy is saying?”  
  
A little croak of _yes_ from his little boy and the water works is starting again. Pulling Junho into a hug, Seungwoo let his own tears fall freely. His poor son, forced to grow up quicker than his age. It must have been hard for him, and Seungwoo never noticed it. But it’s okay. They will get through this together.  
  
They will be okay.  
  


* * *

After that incident, Seungwoo decided to stop sending Junho to the daycare. A phone call to the little girl’s mother had her apologising profusely for her daughter’s behaviour, and not one who likes to complicate matters even more, Seungwoo accepted the apology and moved on with it. With Junho daycare-less and Seungwoo having to work, he roped in the help of his parents to look after Junho.  
  
Junho took to his grandparents like a fish to water. To say he loved them was an understatement. He more than loves his grandparents. They take him on evening walks, play with him during the day, make a lot of snacks for him, and do whatever Seungwoo can’t do with Junho while he is working. He is starting to become more talkative too, not just mumbling to himself anymore. Seungwoo would give credits to his parents, it seemed like they are doing a lot better than he is. Then again, they already raised 3 kids on their own.  
  
While grateful of his parents’ help, he knew that this couldn’t be a long-term solution. Seungwoo just can’t pack up his parents to live with him. They have their own lives too. This led to Seungwoo complaining about it to Wooseok during lunchtime.  
  
“I really need to find a good daycare for him soon, but I don’t want a repeat of the incident again.” Groaning dramatically, Seungwoo slouched over on his desk.  
  
Wooseok, munching away on a burger while scrolling down his phone ignored Seungwoo entirely.  
  
“Hey come on, you’re supposed to help me here!”  
  
With a sigh, Wooseok set down both the burger and his phone, and stared at Seungwoo who was whining like a kid. Is this really Han Seungwoo? Parenthood can really change someone as it seems.  
  
“Then don’t send him to one. Easy.”  
  
“You know what, I’m really about to smack you right now.”  
  
With an exaggerated eye roll, Wooseok continued on “You said it yourself, Junho loves your parents. And I doubt your parents really mind taking care of him anyways. So I’m suspecting that it is actually you who wants your parents out.”  
  
The way Seungwoo spluttered over his words confirmed Wooseok’s suspicion. Honestly, it’s not that hard to read his best friend. Wooseok is willing to bet that Seungwoo’s parents is constantly yapping his ears off about talks of finding a partner. Or maybe nagging him about the lack of time Seungwoo spend with Junho during weekdays. Or maybe even both. Who knows?  
  
“I mean, that Hyewon girl from HR? She is practically head over heels for you. Why not date her and end all of your parents’ nagging?”  
  
That really earned him a whack on the arm. Welp. Maybe he deserved that.  
  
Seungwoo has long since given up on sitting down and resorted to pacing up and down the room “You know I’m not involved in the dating field these days.”  
  
That got Wooseok to snicker “The Han Seungwoo I know from a few years back would be quaking in his boots if I told him your words just now.”  
  
Another pointed look from Seungwoo and Wooseok held both of his hands up, surrendering. Seeing that Wooseok is finally taking him seriously, Seungwoo continued on “I just don’t want to involve anyone else in Junho’s life right now, not when it might not even be that serious. Especially not if it’s just gonna be some fling Seok.”  
  
Wooseok hummed. He truly understood Seungwoo’s dilemma with his parents, but his reluctance to send Junho to a daycare is practically the core to all of this. So he suggested something.  
  
“What about sending Junho to a play school? I heard there’s a good one just two blocks away from our building.”  
  
That seemed to capture Seungwoo’s attention “A play school?”  
  
“Yeah, a play school. That way his daily routines will be more filled wouldn’t it? Since he would be learning stuffs there. Maybe Junho will like it?”  
  
Seungwoo pondered over it for a while “Huh, maybe I will think about it.”  
  
Rolling his eyes for the umpteenth time, Wooseok picked his burger back up and said “You wouldn’t think about it. I know you. You will be trying to get him a spot as soon as possible. Now eat, we only have like 10 minutes left before our break ends.”  
  
True to Wooseok’s word, Seungwoo definitely didn’t mull over the issue for a long time. That night during dinner, Seungwoo brought it up to his parents and Junho. While Junho seemed quite excited at the prospect of ‘learning’, the same could not be said for Seungwoo’s parents.  
  
_“You know I can take care of Junho for the time being right? Don’t you think he’s a bit young for school?”  
  
“I know mom, but I don’t think he’s too young for it. Isn’t it better for him to start early? That way he would be more prepared for the actual preschool. And weren’t you the one telling me about how Mrs. Lee had been complaining about you missing the community meeting again?”  
  
“He’s kind of right there honey…”  
  
“Aren’t my husband supposed to be siding with me?!”  
_  
After quite the tiring conversation between his parents, of which Junho is blissfully unaware of, him watching cartoon, Seungwoo finally managed to convince his parents. His mother especially weren’t all that happy, but the promises of letting her have two more weeks with Junho before he would be enrolled seemed to put out the fire of the situation. More research being done the next day, and some phone calls here and there, Seungwoo secured a spot for Junho at the play school near his workplace.  
  
Finally, no more talks of his non-existent love life for the time being.  
  
Two weeks passed by like a blur, and yesterday Seungwoo’s parents returned to their hometown, after endless threats to him about visiting once in a while with Junho, in which he promised them. He was glad that his parents loved Junho as much as he do, and he was even more glad that Junho has more family figures now.  
  
On their way to the play school, Seungwoo decided to indulge his son for a bit.  
  
“Are you nervous Junho?”  
  
Glancing at the rearview mirror, all he could see on Junho’s face was excitement. There’s not a trace of nervousness at all, and judging by the way he energetically answered Seungwoo with a “No!”, it’s safe for Seungwoo to assume that this day is going to go well.  
  
Arriving at the premise within a short amount of time, Seungwoo walked in with Junho’s hand in his, the boy wanting to walk by himself instead of being carried. At the front desk, they are greeted by a teacher, whose name is Kim Yohan from what his name tag reads, and the very same teacher who had assisted Seungwoo in enrolling Junho into the play school.  
  
“Hi there Mister Han! And this must be little Junho hm?”  
  
As if all of his bright energy earlier was sucked out of him, Junho hid behind Seungwoo’s leg, clutching his pants tightly between his small fingers and mumbling a small “Hello.” back at Yohan. Seungwoo laughed at this, it seemed like his little guy is a bit nervous after all.  
  
Yohan too, let out a laugh and said “It seems as if our Junho is a bit shy, but it’s okay! You’re going to have a lot of fun here.”  
  
With that, Yohan directed the two towards the direction of the classroom. While walking there, Yohan explained to Seungwoo about how the play school works, and basically what Junho would be learning there, and their usual schedule.  
  
“Here we are, now Junho, do you want to go in?”  
  
Junho seemed to be hesitating, and Seungwoo took a little initiative to push his son a bit.  
  
“How about you go inside baby? You were so excited about school earlier hm?” Even with his encouragements, Junho still seemed a bit reluctant.  
  
“Dongpyo! Can you come here for a second?” Yohan called out to someone inside the classroom, and a kid came barrelling out. Probably around Junho’s age.  
  
“Want to say hi to Junho? He’s going to be your new friend!”  
  
The kid turned around and smiled at Junho, his eyes forming crescents before speaking “Hi Junho, my name is Dongpyo! Do you want to come in and see the cars we have?”  
  
Junho turned to Seungwoo, as if to question if he can go follow Dongpyo. After giving Junho a hug and a kiss on the forehead, Seungwoo told him to go with Dongpyo. It was all Dongpyo needed to take Junho’s hand and drag him off to somewhere in the classroom, probably showing Junho the cars he was talking about earlier.  
  
Seungwoo turned to Yohan, and extended his gratitude to him “Really, thank you so much for accepting Junho’s enrolment. I know it might be a bit hard, since it’s already nearing the mid-years, so thank you again.”  
  
“It’s not a problem at all Mister Han, we promise to try out best with Junho.”  
  


* * *

Months had passed, and all were going great for Seungwoo and Junho. There were occasional hiccups here and there, but all were manageable, and easily dealt with.  
  
It turns out that sending Junho to the play school was a brilliant idea. From there, he had grown, not physically, but rather emotionally and intellectually. Junho is now learning to expand his social circle too, and after fetching Junho from school, Seungwoo would hear endless stories about Junho’s ‘adventure’ with his friends Dongpyo, Minhee and Hyeongjun. Seungwoo was really glad for this improvement.  
  
Junho’s mother too, had been able to settle herself down completely at the new country she now calls home. She is doing quite well there. Once a month, she would fly back to South Korea, spend a week with Junho before flying back. It was not really the most ideal arrangement for Junho mostly, but Seungwoo tried to take it positively. After all, Junho always looked forward to the time he is going to spend with his mother.  
  
Seungwoo is now seated on a bench at the park, where he had taken Junho to. Junho wasjust several feet away, playing near the small pond where there are a family of ducks. He still loves animals with all his heart, a trait that is heart-warming to Seungwoo.  
  
Someone plopped down on the empty seat next to him, but he isn’t startled. He had expected the company.  
  
He turned to face the person and said a soft _‘Hey’_ to Seungyoun, who had handed him a bottle of cold soda. His greeting was returned and they both directed their eyes to Junho again. Silence blanketed the both of them.  
  
Seungwoo was the first to break it.  
  
“How’s Hangyul and Dohyon? Hangyul okay with you going out right now?”  
  
That caused a smile to break out on Seungyoun’s face. Yes, the couple had decided to adopt a child for themselves, mostly blaming it on Seungwoo for giving them ‘ _dad-fever’_ , from making them babysit Junho from time to time. But Seungwoo knew his friends. They had been ready to adopt all along. Junho’s arrival had just been the catalyst to speed up their reaction and action.  
  
And so that’s where Dohyon, their little bundle of sunshine came in.  
  
Hangyul and Seungyoun found Dohyon at the old orphanage where Hangyul used to live himself. He was just a mere 9 months old baby, and the couple instantly fell in love with him. The adoption process was, rough to say. But it all worked through at the end and now they have another addition to their family.  
  
Seungwoo could remember the first time Junho had met Dohyon.  
  
_“Junho, you want to come say hi to Dohyon?”  
  
Junho had been stuck by Seungwoo’s side all the time they had been there. The father and son had visited Seungyoun and Hangyul’s house that day, intending to meet their own new son, Dohyon. Junho, like always, had been excited at first but when they had arrived he had latched onto Seungwoo’s leg, refusing to get anywhere near the baby.  
  
Said baby is now drinking his milk, being cradled by Seungyoun.  
  
A nudge and an encouraging nod from Seungwoo finally got Junho to come sit next to Seungyoun. He had been content to just peer down on Dohyon’s face at first. But courage struck, and he started to give little pats on Dohyon’s legs, and eventually his hands gravitated to Dohyon’s own hands, which were holding the bottle.  
  
All of a sudden, Dohyon’s hands grasped Junho’s tightly, all the while still suckling away on the bottle of milk.  
  
Junho had looked at Seungwoo with the brightest pair of eyes at that moment, and had exclaimed,  
  
“Daddy look!”  
  
Seungwoo could swear that his heart was about to burst from all the cuteness that was being displayed.  
  
_“Hangyul practically kicked me out of the house, said he wanted some special time with Dohyon.”  
  
That snapped Seungwoo out of his own musings, and he had laughed at that. Ah, classic Hangyul and Seungyoun indeed, fighting to have more time to spend with Dohyon. Lucky him that he gets Junho all to himself most of the times.  
  
“Yeah yeah laugh it up, just wait until you get yourself a boyfriend or girlfriend who loves Junho as much as you do. See how you like to fight for time with your own son.” Seungyoun said while gently punching Seungwoo on the upper arm.  
  
That got Seungwoo to fall into another deep thought.  
  
“I don’t really know, maybe I’ll end up single forever you know. Having Junho right now is already enough for me.”  
  
Seungyoun hummed in understanding “I mean, if you are not looking for a partner, it’s fine Seungwoo. I know you are doing well with Junho. He adores you so much too, it’s cute to see.”  
  
Seungwoo agreed. Life with Junho is a constant adventure, one that he is not ready to explore with anyone else other than Junho for the time being. Maybe one day. For now, he is content to stay with just the two of them.  
  
“Daddy, come look!”  
  
Now there’s his cue.  
  
Standing up, he nudged Seungyoun to come along to see whatever it is that had sparked Junho’s interest. Seungwoo’s heart feels light. This is where he wants to be.  
  
This is his now his home. His son, Junho.  
  


* * *

  
_Bonus ;_  
  
  
  
  


Standing among the sea of parents fetching their child back from preschool, Seungwoo had to crane his neck to find his son.  
  
It was the first day of preschool, so you can see just about as many attitudes being displayed here and there. It was kind of amusing really.  
  
Once he spotted his son waiting by a bench, he called him out.  
  
“Junho!”  
  
Spotting his father, Junho let out the biggest smile and began running towards Seungwoo. Seungwoo, of course caught him in a hug and spun him around.  
  
“How’s daddy’s big boy doing on his first day of preschool, hm?”  
  
Junho had giggled, and launched into story-telling mode, all the while Seungwoo carried him to the car. Once he’s all set in his carseat and Seungwoo had began driving, he is still rather focused on telling Seungwoo everything that happened that day.  
  
He told Seungwoo about the songs they sung, about the meals he ate, and about how there’s a cat on the school compound, and how the cat was so friendly. But one thing caught Seungwoo’s attention the most.  
  
“You said someone _kissed_ your cheek baby?”  
  
Oblivious to his father’s distress and disbelief, Junho answered with a very enthusiastic _‘yes!’_ , which added to the building headache Seungwoo could feel brewing.  
  
“What’s his name again Junho?”  
  
“Eunsangie.”  
  
Eunsangie. Honestly. The first day of preschool, and Seungwoo already have to worry about fighting off his son’s potential suitors? Dear God please help him already.  
  
Glancing through the rearview mirror, Seungwoo decided to ask more “Why did Eunsangie kiss you baby?”  
  
“Eunsangie said that I’m cute, then he kissed my cheek!”  
  
His son got kissed just because he was _cute_? Wasn’t Seungwoo the only one allowed to do that?  
  
“So I told Eunsangie that he is handsome, and I kissed his cheek too!”  
  
That’s it. Seungwoo is so going to chase all the boys and girls away.

**Author's Note:**

> This idea have been in my head for days now, I just had to write about it. I'm sorry if some part seem rushed. Fly high, X1 :')


End file.
